American Cinematographer - September 2004 - 56

it's

an

ethereal

outside

shape."

a

backs of young Becky and two school

challenge was the race against
time. This sometimes meant a last-

matrons rushing her up the steps,
through the main doorway and into
the school hall. The matrons speak

est

minute

change in shot design, and it
certainly complicated the film's most
difficult scene, an elegant ball that
reveals many dramatic details and
features 300 extras,

an

orchestra and

night lighting. With only two days to
light the sequence, Quinn and his
crew wired about 60 paper lanterns
to

dimmers and bounced

Blondes

2K

two

for

a moment

and then exit frame,

leaving Becky alone in the austere
room

as

made

use

Another

school, pushing in on the

Quinn, Vanity Fairs great¬

For

the

camera

ascends. We

of the full range

of the

Super Techno's telescoping ability to
make the shot work."

crane

shot illustrates

the harsh

dynamics of social snob¬
bery at a party thrown by Lord
Steyne. Dubbed the "Crimson
Petal" sequence, after a song Becky
sings before the hostile crowd, the
scene starts with the camera
high
and wide, showing Becky enter the
drawing room. Clusters of ladies
turn heel when she approaches,
leaving her alone in the center of the

dozen

gelled with varying

shades of chocolate and amber for
ambient

lighting; they used 8'x8' and

12x12' frames of Vi Soft Frost

to

soften the

light for close-ups, and
used the Rifa light as fill.
As the clock

ticked, however,

Nair became

increasingly discon¬
tented with an important piece of
action: George Osborne's adulterous
flirtation with Becky as they dance.
"That sequence was feeling too stiff,"
says Quinn. "Mira was feeling frus¬
trated because the

and did

a

handheld take, and

focus

puller David Couzens had to
follow his lead on the fly. "We were
shooting at a T2.5, and David
handled it effortlessly," says the cine¬
matographer. Though the energy was
right, Quinn was worried the shot
would stick out as being too rough.
"But when I
it looks

the

see it cut into the movie,
fine," he says. "In fact, it gives

little

intimacy. That
taught me to be a little braver about
mixing dolly shots with handheld
shots. If the energy's there with the
acting, it works."
Camera movement was typi¬
cally accomplished with a dolly or a
Steadicam, and a Super Technocrane
was
employed for a few key shots.
scene a

"I'm

4

■

.,

\

'■

*&
*

.

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

camera was on a

dolly, and the shot didn't feel inti¬
mate enough. She said, 'What can
you do?"' Quinn shouldered the
camera

_

more

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little reticent to put cameras on
cranes unless there's a really good
a

reason

crane

to do it," says
shot I like is a

Quinn. "One
move

at

the

beginning of the film. We start

To learn more, visit

www.kodak.com/go/training

43
American Cinematographer - September 2004

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